This blog is more than an account of Near Death Experiences. It ponders in detail the tough questions of life. Who are you, and why are you here in this physical world? What happens when you die, and is there a judgment? However, most anything could appear here. This is not a news blog, archived posts are just as relevant as new posts. Check the boxes at the top of the page for the Contents, Contact, Forum and other links.
Being there at the right time, in the right place wins the prize. Many believe this kind of timing is luck, good fortune that comes to others, but never to them. But, that is wrong. Nary a day passes that doesn’t contain opportunities for us to grow, learn, and take advantage of the events happening around us. We don’t see them because we are not looking for them. We believe it can’t happen for us, so we give up and plod along with blinders obscuring our visions. Blinders are nothing but negative beliefs we need to change into positive beliefs. Start today, looking for your good fortune, believe in yourself. Whether you desire knowledge, wisdom or wealth know it is within your grasp on a daily basis.
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say.
When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would be twins!”
He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?”
Michael replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today.
“You can choose to be in a good mood or … you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.
“Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or…I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
“Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or… I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.”
“Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested.
“Yes, it is,” Michael said. “Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations.
“You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood.
“The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live your life.”
I reflected on what Michael said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied. “If I were any better, I’d be twins. Wanna see my scars?”
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon to be born daughter,” Michael replied. “Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or …I could choose to die. I chose to live.”
“Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked. Michael continued, “…the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read “he’s a dead man. I knew I needed to take action.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,” said Michael. “She asked if I was allergic to anything.
“Yes, I replied.” The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, “Gravity.”
Over their laughter, I told them, “I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”
Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
After all, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
You have two choices now:
1. Forget this.
2. Pass it on to people you care about.
The Hindu notion that the deeper soul is opposed to the self, and true spirituality lies in denying one’s finite temporary identity to seek the Atman. The Buddha said that the true disciple becomes disgusted with form, and everything else, up to consciousness, his dissipation sets him free. It is also important to have a natural and healthy love for yourself.
When I was fed up with myself I was willing to give up my identity and become love in its fullest. I wanted love to take over me so I wouldn’t have any more negative thoughts. I wanted it more than anything in the world.
At the same time I love myself and like the fact that I am an individual who can make her own choices. God has given us a certain amount of freedom.
Jesus said to take our cross and follow him. This means we must find a cause that promotes the way of love and do anything to keep it going, whatever that means. If you have to eat one less meal a day, if you have to donate money to a charity, or spend extra hours on the phone helping others — do that.
In Hinduism it is said we are all one with the eternal one Brahman. Being separate from Brahman is our ignorance. When we choose to live on this earth we may forget who we really are. Lekatt told me, “Remember who you are.”
